


Who Knows Who Knows

by snowkatze



Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Misunderstanding, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-25 02:19:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12026037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowkatze/pseuds/snowkatze
Summary: Penny isn’t an idiot and can tell when somebody’s in love. (Baz. Which means he’s screwed.)





	Who Knows Who Knows

During summer holiday, Simon, Baz and Penny met up a few times. Since the truce the three of them were starting to become friends. Being close to Simon (emotionally as well as physically) tore Baz apart. But he didn’t mind it much. That was until Penny asked Baz to stay after Simon had left and spoke those dreadful words Baz never wanted to hear.

“You’re in love with Simon.”

Penny stared at him and Baz stared back, a horrible feeling creeping up in him.

_Damn. How does she know?_

He looked into her glinting eyes, wondering.

_Of course she knows. She’s smart. And since I’m not pretending to hate Simon any more, it must be obvious…_

“You’re way to clever,” Baz eventually said even though he’d rather screamed at her. _DOES HE KNOW?_

“One doesn’t need to be clever to figure that out. An idiot could see you’re in love with him.”

“S-Simon too?”

Baz’ heart was beating faster. Everything was at stake; his whole mask, his whole pretending, his shiny fake world in which Simon and him were able to be friends. If Simon knew, all that would fall apart. And Baz was far from ready for that.

“I don’t think so,” Penny replied and a hint of concern showed up in her gaze.

_Probably he doesn’t know. He’s painfully oblivious._

“Are you going to tell him?”

“Of course not. That’s your thing. You have to sort it out yourselves. I just wanted you to know.”

“Thank you,” Baz murmured and turned to leave, still not fully recovered from their conversation.

“Baz?” Penny called after him and Baz stopped just before he was out the door but he didn’t turn around. “Just don’t get your hopes up too high. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Baz swallowed and shuddered due to the true emotion he could hear in her voice. She really cared about him. He wasn’t able to remember the last time somebody had done that.

Since he wasn’t very well at dealing with emotions, he closed the door silently without an answer. Even though she couldn’t hear him, Baz said: “I’m not an idiot. I _know_ he doesn’t love me back. No need to worry about me.”

But of course, that was a lie. Baz was familiar with lies. They were his protection.

 

A few weeks later, Simon started to behave differently. He blushed whenever Baz came closer to him and avoided his touch. Baz was aware that this could only mean one thing. Maybe he and Penny had underestimated Simon. Maybe he was more observant than Baz had thought. Maybe he _knew._ The more time passed, the more sure Baz became of that. Simon wouldn’t even look at him. And Baz needed to put an end to that. On one of the rare occasions that they had met at Baz’ (Simon claimed that the mansion was creepy and Baz preferred it that way) Baz asked Simon to stay a little after Penny announced she’d leave.

“B-but Penny,” Simon said nervously and Baz was sure, “can’t you stay here, please?”  
Penny glanced at Baz knowingly and declined politely.

_Great,_ Baz thought a little angry. _He can’t even be alone with you._

“What is it you wanted to talk about?” Simon murmured, still not looking at Baz. It was making him mad.

“You might think I’m stupid but I can put one and one together. You don’t want to be alone with me, you don’t want to touch me and you blush all the time. I can tell how uncomfortable you are in my present. I know what that means.”

Baz sounded increasingly angry. Simon winced. _Fuck._ Baz turned around and went over to rearrange his books, to seem occupied, to keep himself from showing emotion. This drew Simon’s attention to Baz’ jeans.

“I just wanted to tell you,” Baz said to the wall. “Don’t force yourself to stay my friend if my feelings make you this uncomfortable. And don’t deny it, I know they do. I didn’t want things to be awkward between us but since I’m apparently terrible at hiding my stupid feelings for you, it’s unavoidable. Don’t worry about me, Simon. I- I’ll manage. Somehow.”

He turned around to Simon, who was still staring at Baz’ jeans.

“It’s just that- wait, Simon, are you even listening to me?”  
“What?”

Simon forced himself to look up at Baz’ face.

“Oh… Sorry. I… I was distracted.”

“By what?!”  
Simon’s face turned red.

“Your jeans.”  
Confused, Baz looked at his trousers.

“They’re not weird, or anything?”  
He paused a second.

“Do you… think they look… gay?”

“How does something _look_ gay?”  
Now Simon was confused as well.

“Well, I don’t know… You’re the one who has a problem!”

“I don’t have _a problem._ ”

Simon muttered something under his breath.

“What did you say?”  
“I think they look sexy,” Simon murmured, avoiding Baz’ gaze at any cost.

Baz froze. Simon didn’t mean it like that, did he?

“But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

_No?_

“I guess it was stupid to think I could keep this from you…”  
 _What?!_  
“You not behaving like my arch enemy and treating me kind of nice made me realize… that I actually don’t hate you. And that I’m… in love with you.”

_WHAT?!_

“So… Why did you want to talk about it? It’s not like I can stop it, if that’s what you were asking for. I mean, I would if I could but obviously I can’t and I’m really sorry, Baz, please don’t start hating me again, please, I couldn’t take that, I-”

Simon was on the verge of tears and Baz stepped close to him.

“You know what?” Baz whispered, tilting his head against Simon’s.

“I think we’re _both_ idiots,” he murmured against Simon’s lips. After they broke apart, breathing heavily, Simon smiled at him and whispered: “But at least now we can be idiots together.”


End file.
